Display device



Aug. 1, 1951 S R F 2,563,754

" DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 14, 1945 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,563,754

DISPLAY DEVICE Harry E. Soref, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Master Lock Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 14, 1945, Serial No. 593,750 2 Claims. (01. 211-13) This invention relates to display devices for supporting articles of merchandise in the show windows or on the counters of stores, and the object of the invention is to provide a strong and attractive structure of this character which can be simply and economically made from sheet metal or other easily worked material such as plastic sheets, in substantially integral form and which includes lugs or hangers for the articles, together with means presenting advertising matter relating thereto. More specifically, the device is designed for the display of padlocks and their keys in a manner permitting them to be readily removed as they are sold.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the display device as it appears when ready for use, showing it some what foreshortened by reason of the inclined position of its display face.

Figure 2 is a direct front face view with a portion of the display card broken out to condense the illustration.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal detail section as indicated at line 44 on Figure 2.

While there is shown and described herein a single preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but that it includes all forms and modifications which would be apparent to those skilled in the art and which come within the scope of the appended claims.

As shown, the device comprises a flat frame designated generally by the numeral Ill and having an upper marginal portion [2, a lower marginal portion l4 and lateral or end portions l6, l6, enclosing an approximately rectangular area l8. The lower portion [4 may have foot sections 20, 20 adjacent its ends, and, if desired, may be formed with a stiffening bead 22 pressed in its intermediate area. From the lateral or end portions l6, l6, easel members 24, 24 extend rearwardly, and these parts may have flanged foot portions 26, 26, as seen in Figure 3, to support the frame in approximately upright position but tilted so as to present advertising matter at a convenient reading angle.

Such descriptive or illustrative matter may be supplied on a card or panel 28 disposed flatly against the rear face of the frame Ill and secured thereto in any simple manner, as by bolts3ll, 30 disposed in perforations in the upper portion l2 and extending through the card 28, with fastening nuts 32 clamped against its rear surface, as shown in Figure 3. The foot sections 20, 20 are preferably folded back and upwardly to provide retaining channels 34 for the lower edge of the display card or panel 28 adjacent its corners. Figure 4 shows a short lug 36 which is bent to form an upwardly open channel for the middle portion of the card at its lower edge.

From the lower edge of the upper frame portion [2 a plurality of article carrying lugs or hangers extend forwardly, and if the frame is made from sheet metal these lugs will be formed from the portion of the sheet which is cut away from the lower portion [4 and from the end portions I 6, l 6 to provide the open area ill, in which the card 28, or a portion of it, is displayed. The lugs 38 are T-shaped, with their stem portions 40 projecting forwardly from the lower edge of the frame portion l2, and the alternate lugs 42 comprise arms 44 projecting forwardly from said part l2 with T-shaped portions attached laterally to these arms, that is, with their stem portions 46 extending laterally therefrom. All the lugs are thus integral with the frame portion l2, and if made of sheet metal they are bent to extend substantially at right angles to the plane of the frame ID.

The T-shaped lugs 38 are designed to support padlocks such as that shown in dotted outline at 50, with the loop or shackle of the lock hanging over the stem 40 of the lug sothat it is removably retained by the cross arm of the T- form thereof. The lug 42, adjacent the lug 38. supports the key or keys for the padlock, as shown in dotted outline at 52; usually, two keys are furnished with each lock and they are secured together by a metal ring 54 which tends to stand in a plane transverse to the flat faces of the keys. Therefore, when this ring 54 is hung over the laterally projecting stem 46 of the T- shaped part of the lug 42 it is retained thereon by the cross arm of this T-form and the keys hang so that one of their fiat faces is presented forwardly as seen in Figure 2. This arrangement makes a very attractive display of the locks and their keys, and at the same time leaves them conveniently accessible and removable for closer inspection by a customer or for delivery to him in the event of a sale.

The area of the display panel 28 may be coincident with that of the frame In if desired, but will usually extend above it as shown in the 3 drawings, providing an upper portion 29 for i1- lustrative matter or instructive explanation dealing with the uses, merits and advantages of the mechandise supported by the display de- Vice.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display device which includes a support comprising a flat marginal frame portion of relatively limited width bounding an open area, with a series of T-shaped lugs having their stem portions projecting forwardly at intervals from said frame portion at the upper edge of said open area and additional lugs alternating with the lugs of said series and also extending from the frame portion at the upper edge of said open area and each comprising a forwardly projecting arm with a T-shaped portion extending laterally therefrom, the stem of said T-shaped portion joining the side of the arm, and easel portions extending rearwardly from said frame portion.

2.111 a display device as defined in claim 1, said frame portion being formed from a single piece of sheet material and all of said lugs being dimensioned and positioned to be formed from said material originally within the area encompassed by said. frame portion.

HARRY E. SOREF,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date .464,053 Wirths Dec. 1, 1891 809,785 Dahlberg Jan. 9, 1906 924,150 Chamas June 26, 1906 929,220 Hirsch July 27, 1909 1,005,985 Lebherz Oct. 17, 1911 1,346,969 lewhouse July 20, 1920 1,665,271 Lubbers Apr. 10, 1928 1,687,138 Myers Oct. 9, 1928 1,743,565, Nickle Jan. 14, 1930 2,028,694 Spinks Jan. 21, 1936 2,069,018 Rayhurn, Jan. 26, 1937 2,307,992 Calhoun et a1 Jan. 12, 1943 

